Shubhanshu Shukla

Shubhanshu Shukla
Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla in 2025
Born	(1985-10-10) 10 October 1985 Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
Status	Active
Nationality	Indian
Alma mater	Jawaharlal Nehru University (Bachelor of Science) National Defence Academy Indian Air Force Academy IISc Bangalore M.Tech
Occupations	Astronaut Test pilot
Space career
ISRO astronaut
Rank	Group Captain
Time in space	287 days, 6 hours, 19 minutes  (currently in space)
Selection	1st Vyomanaut Group (2019)
Missions	Axiom Mission 4
Military career
Nickname(s)	"Shux"
Allegiance	India
Branch	Indian Air Force
Years of service	2006–present
Rank	Group Captain
Service number	29014
Spouse(s)	Kamna Shubha Shukla
Children	1

Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla (born 10 October 1985), nicknamed Shux,is an Indian Air Force test pilot and ISRO astronaut. He is one of four astronauts selected for the Indian Human Spaceflight Programme and is the first Indian astronaut to visit the International Space Station (ISS) as part of the Axiom Mission 4.

Early life and education

Shubhanshu Shukla was born on 10 October 1985 in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India. He completed his schooling at City Montessori School, Aliganj. Motivated by the 1999 Kargil War, Shukla independently applied for and passed the UPSC NDA examination. He graduated from the National Defence Academy in 2005 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science. Subsequently, he trained at the Indian Air Force Academy and was commissioned into the Fighter stream of the Indian Air Force as a Flying officer in June 2006. He later earned a M.Tech in Aerospace Engineering from the IISc Bangalore.

Indian Air Force career

Shukla is a combat leader and experienced test pilot with approximately 2,000 hours of flight time across various aircraft, including the Su-30 MKI, MiG-21, MiG-29, Jaguar, Hawk, Dornier 228, and An-32.

ISRO astronaut career

Training

In 2019, Shukla was selected by the Institute of Aerospace Medicine (IAM), under the Indian Air Force, for the Indian Human Spaceflight Programme. He was one of four astronauts shortlisted by IAM and ISRO. In 2020, he underwent basic astronaut training at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Russia, completing it in 2021. Upon returning to India, he continued training at the Astronaut Training Facility in Bangalore. During this period, he completed his M.Tech in Aerospace Engineering from IISc Bangalore.

On 27 February 2024, Prime Minister Narendra Modi publicly announced Shukla as one of the astronaut team members for the Gaganyaan mission during an event at ISRO's Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre in Thiruvananthapuram.

Axiom Mission 4

Shukla is currently serving as the pilot for Axiom Mission 4, which launched to the International Space Station on 25 June 2025. The mission, a collaboration between NASA, SpaceX, and ISRO, includes commander Peggy Whitson, mission specialists Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski, and Tibor Kapu. ISRO astronaut Prasanth Nair serves as the backup crew member. Shukla and Nair trained at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. As the first Indian astronaut to visit the ISS and the second Indian to reach orbit after Rakesh Sharma, Shukla’s mission is a milestone for India’s space program. The cost of his seat is estimated at approximately $60 million (₹500 crore).

What a ride! Namaskar mere pyare Deshvasiyo. What a ride! We’ve returned to space after 40 years and it was a fantastic ride. Right now, we are orbiting Earth at a velocity of about 7.5 km/sec. I have my Flag of India on my shoulder which tells me that I am not alone and that I am with all of you. This is not the beginning of my journey to the ISS but the beginning of India’s human spaceflight programme. I want all Indians to be part of this journey. All your chests must swell in pride and must be as excited. Let’s begin India’s human spaceflight journey together. Jai Hind. Jai Bharat.

“Jai Hind, Jai Bharat: Shubhanshu Shukla’s first words…” — *Economic Times*, 25 June 2025

Personal life

Shukla is married to Dr. Kamna Mishra, a dentist and his former school classmate. They have one son. His father, Shambhu Dayal Shukla, is a retired government officer, and his mother, Asha Shukla, is a homemaker. He is the youngest of three siblings; his elder sister, Nidhi, holds an MBA, and his other elder sister, Suchi Mishra, is a school teacher.

Shukla enjoys physical exercise, reading science-related books, and has recently developed an interest in horoscopes, despite identifying as an agnostic. He is also passionate about astrophotography.